Holding and positioning tool for installing building eave gutters



Aug. 24, 1954 N. L. LE ROY HOLDING AND POSITIONING TOOL FOR INSTALLINGBUILDING EAVE GUTTERS Filed May 16, 1952 INVENTOR. NORMAN L. LE ROY BYDES JARDINS, ROBINSON &

KEISER Hl's ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 24, 1954 OFFICE HOLDING ANDPOSITIONING TOOL FOR INSTALLING BUILDING EAVE GUTTERS Norman L. Le Roy,Cincinnati, Ohio Application May 16, 1952, Serial No. 288,120

- 3 Claims. 1

This invention relates to holding and positioning tools for installingbuilding eave gutters, and it particularly pertains to a plurality ofholding tools which are temporarily attached to a building below thecave in position to receive and hold an eave gutter, each of saidholding tools having vertically adjustable means for positioning thegutter to the proper level to be conventionally secured to the buildingin adjusted position, after which the temporary holding tools areremoved for reuse.

Eave gutters, made of sheet metal or other materials, areusuallyrelatively long, but whether in long or short lengths, twoworkmen are required to mount them, they needing to be supported attheir opposite ends. least some makeshift temporary means is necessaryto hold them in place for being accurately aligned so that there will besome downward slope toward the drain spoutfor causing the collected roofwater to drain oii and not be retained in the gutter. All toofrequently, the workmen do not bother with even a make shift temporaryholding means for aligning the gutters, and, consequently, they are notaligned for proper drainage.

Accordingly, one of the principal objects of my invention is inatemporary holding tool and aligning means that can be used by a singleworkman without the need of a helper.

Another object of the invention is in a temporary holding tool whichfacilitates proper alignment of the gutters.

Still another object of the invention is in a temporary holding toolthat is light in weight, easy to carry and handle, and may be repeatedlyused.

Further objects, and objects relating to details of construction andeconomies of operation, will readily appear from the detaileddescription to follow. In one instance, I have accomplished the objectsof my invention by the tool device and means set forth in the followingspecification. My invention is clearly defined and pointed out in theappended claims. ture constituting a preferred embodiment of myinvention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthe specification, in which:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a portion of a building eave showing theeave gutter held in place by tool devices embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation View of one of the temporary holders andpositioning tool devices.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the temporary holders andpositioning tool devices.

A struc- Even then, at

The invention, generally described, comprises a U-shaped metal strap,conforming generally to the cross section of a conventional eave gutter.The gutters are of conventional shape, but may be made somewhat largeror smaller. Any adjustment necessary in the straps for the gutters tofit therein can be effected merely by slightly bending one or both ofthe vertical arms or sides of the U-shaped support. One arm or side ofthe strap is adapted to be nailed against the side of the. building,just below the eave, in position for the cave gutter to be fittedtherein between the arms of the strap with its open side uppermost. Inthe bottom of the strap is a vertically adjustable means on which thebottom of the cave gutter is adapted to rest or seat, this verticallyadjustable means being of any desired construction.

A plurality of these holding tools are secured to the building inlongitudinally spaced apart relation, there being preferably at leastthree for adequate support of the gutter without sagging between itsopposite ends. There should be one support adjacent each end of the cavegutter, and at least one at some intermediate point. Accordingly, eitherend of the gutter or the intermediate portion thereof can beindependently raised or lowered to, the desired elevation for beingconventionally secured to the eave. The adjustment of the gutter can beeffected by a screw threaded to the bottom of the holding tool with oneend having a carrying means for seating it against the bottom of thegutter and the other end provided with an operating tool, such as acrank, or means for cooperating with an operating tool.

Referring specifically to the drawings in which like numerals designatelike parts, numeral 2 is a conventional eave gutter that is to befastened to the eave of the building 3 below an overhanging startingcourse of shingles or other roof covering.

At spaced intervals along a portion of the building below the eave anumber of temporary supports, designated generally by numeral i, aresecured by the roof nails which can be first partially driven into placefor the holding tools to be hooked thereon by means of a slot 6 openingin from one edge of arm 1 near its top end. The holding tool is formedfrom a metal strap bent into arms 1 and 8 extending vertically atopposite ends of bottom 9 to form a socket of the general cross sectionand configuration of the gutter which is to be seated in the socket ofthe tool with said socket side uppermost.

. A vertically adjustable means is mounted in.

3 the bottom 9 of the tool support, this being in the form of a screw Itwhich is threaded through the recess II in said bottom 9. The recess maybe elongated beyond the normal thickness of the bottom of the toolsupport by a sleeve or thickened portion 2 at this point.

The bottom end of the screw may be operated by any tool, preferably by acrank 13, fitted thereto, and its upperiend' has a washer or thimble Mfor contacting directly with the bottom of the cave gutter or a falsebottom l5, also mounted on the bottom of the tool support, said. falsebottom being in the form of a plate having one end it closely adjacentthe arm 1 and its opposite end being upturnedinto flange l'i. Theplateisof a length which is about the width of the bottom of the gutter. A pairof guide pins-l8 are fixed to the underside of the plate and'slidablyengaged with the bottom of the support by projecting through recesses 19therein and through the sleeves "29 provided on thebottom side of thesupport. Theplurality of pins cause the plate to be raised and loweredwithout binding. A screw cap 2i is fitted to each end of the guides forholding the false bottom assembled to the tool support.

From the foregoing description, it will readily appear that withthevertically adjustable means in each of the holding tools, the cavegutter may be properly aligned and positioned to be converh tionallyfastened to'the building by permanent fastening means. After the cavegutter has been fastened to the building the temporary holding tools canbe easily removed either by withdrawing the holding nail or simplyknocking the tools 01? of the nails.

I am aware there may be various changes in details of constructionwithout departing from the spirit of my invention, and, therefore, Iclaim my invention broadly as indicated by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and useful anddesire to secure by U. S. Letters Patent, is:

1. An eave gutter installing device which is adapted to be temporarilyconnected to a building in position for the eave gutter to be installedin place comprising a bracket having a base between two upwardlyextending arms, one of which arms is adapted to extend into a spacebetween the building and the cave gutter and is free of any sideprojections, next adjacent said building and cave gutter, to permits'aidbracket arm being readily retracted from the said space after the cavegutter is permanently secured in place,

and a recess formed in from the marginal edge of said arm to providehook means confined in that area of said arm that is in the spacebetween the building and the cave gutter.

'2. An eave gutter installing device which is adapted to be temporarilyconnected to a building in posiion for the gutter to be installedcomprising a bracket havinga base between two upwardly extending arms,one of which arms h as its opposite faces next adjacent the building andthe gutter, in a vertical, plane throughout its entire height in orderto be entirely confined in the area of the space between the buildingand the gutter when said gutter is installed, and a recess formed infrom one marginal edge of the arm to provide a hook within the confinesof the space between the building and the gutter, thereby permitting thearm being readily retracted from said space afterthe gutter ispermanently secured in position.

3. An cave gutter installing device as set forth in claim 2 having afalse bottom vertically adjustable on the base of the bracket.

References Cited'in the file of thispatent UNITED STATES PATENTS I Date

